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Training and Preparing for a New Flight Environment

A recent study of general aviation accidents suggests that, in addition to piloting proficiency, transition training and experience in diverse flight environments can improve a pilot’s ability to recognize and successfully respond to new challenges.

Challenge Accepted

As pilots, it’s always good to take on new challenges — whether it’s flying a new type of aircraft or in a totally new environment. There’s lotto learn from these experiences and they can certainly increase the fun factor with flying.

As with any new aeronautical endeavor, always be cautious and keenly aware of your limitations. It’s important to ensure you are proficient enough to handle any of the challenges presented with unfamiliar environments. Let’s look at a few ways you can expand your horizons to bolster safety and foster the fun of flying.

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Shifting Gears

One popular way to expand your horizons is to

get checked out in a different category or class of

aircraft. Maybe you’d like to step up to the latest

twin-engine technology. Or perhaps you’d prefer the

more classic feel of a vintage tail dragger. Or it could

be that the thrill of flying engine-less in a glider is

beckoning you.

Another good challenge to consider is flying to a

new location or environment. Does the versatility of

flying with skis or floats sound appealing? How about

snapping a few photos of some majestic

mountaintops? Or experiencing the rugged

remoteness that only backcountry flying offers?

Once you determine what new type of flying

motivates you the most, you can design some great

experiences to expand your flight envelope. The idea

here is that a list of fun activities will enable you to

build experience, stay proficient, and develop skills to

help you become a safer pilot. Think of it as a

“choose your own adventure” style of becoming a

more well-balanced aviator.

Whichever type of aircraft or flying experience

you choose, you’ll want to get some quality training

to maximize safety, utility, and fun. Comprehensive

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transition training and practice will ensure you’ll get

the most out of the machine — and yourself.

One additional note on changing to a different

type of aircraft: it’s best to banish the notions of

moving “up” and “down” when it comes to aircraft

transition. Any pilot who has transitioned from a

standard category airplane to a light sport aircraft

(LSA) will attest to the very real challenges involved in

moving to a lower-performance airplane. Bottom

line: whether moving to a more capable aircraft or to

a simpler machine, every bird we fly deserves, and

indeed demands, the utmost level of respect from its

pilot.

Details Matter

Each new operational environment presents

unique challenges and opportunities. The trick is to

know what you’re getting into and how to operate

safely and confidently in unfamiliar environments.

For that you’ll need to do some research.

A good place to start is with the Chart

Supplement — formerly known as the Airport/Facilit

Directory — and your local VFR charts which will give

you airport, terrain, and some obstruction

information. Magazine articles can be good general

sources of information, as can aircraft type clubs and

pilot clubs/associations. However, your best sources

of information will always be the pilots and

instructors who regularly operate in the

environment. It’s well worth the time and effort to

seek them out for guidance.

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Slow and Steady

Be patient when tackling a new flying challenge,

and work your way up taking incremental steps. If it’s

flying to a new environment, like a high-density

altitude area, start with a good-sized airport with

longer runways. That will give you a feel for the

longer takeoff runs and lower climb performance.

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Flying For a Cause

Another way to expand your horizons is directing

your flight activity to a good cause. Volunteer service

flying has multiple benefits when done properly: it

can provide opportunities to sharpen your skills,

provide immeasurable value to the individuals and

organizations it helps, and also enhance the public

perception of general aviation as a valuable and

beneficial activity. Keep in mind that this type of flying

carries a lot of responsibility, and it does require

some effort to do it right. Be sure to seek out the

appropriate guidance and requirements first.

Resources

The FAA Safety Briefing magazine has written extensively on this subject. Please read the following for more great tips on expanding your horizons! Birds of a Different Feather Issue (Nov/Dec 2018): faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2018/media/NovDec2018.pdf

“Shifting Gears—Tips for Tackling Transition Training (Sep/Oct 2017): https://spark.adobe.com/page/Z6FM71opuqCXv/

“Cross Country Skiing—Aviation Style!” Pg. 10 (Nov/Dec 2014): faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2014/media/NovDec2014.pdf

Making Flying Fun Issue (Jul/Aug 2012): faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2012/media/JulAug2012.pdf

Wide World of Flying Issue (Sep/Oct 2011): faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2011/media/SepOct2011.pdf

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